Alejandra Zamudio’s drawing installation Ovulation / Summer reflects on the symbolic relationship between the ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle and summer. The vitrine installation consists of a large-scale drawing framed by seasonal flowers, which will wilt and die as the exhibition goes by.
The artist created the drawing, Trinity of the Three Mothers, in response to learning that the eggs released throughout a woman’s or menstruating person's fertile life span have been inside their body since the fetal stage. This means that the egg that was fertilized to create us existed when our mothers were growing inside of our grandmothers; three generations were contained in one. During ovulation, an egg is released from the ovaries. If fertilized, a new life may begin; if not, the egg will be shed along with the nutrients necessary to sustain life, in a process called menstruation.
As the artist states, ‘’Ovulation is a phase that symbolizes a confident leap into the world, so I associate it with the exuberance and fertility of summer. Any creative work, be that the creation of a baby, a meal, or a work of art, requires the symbolic release of an egg into the unknown. An egg holds a promise, a possibility, or a wish that might be revealed or remain hidden in time.’’
Alejandra Zamudio is a Colombian artist based in Montreal. Her artwork stems from a committed journaling practice that keeps her engaged with the abundance that can be found in the mundane. The content of these journals populate her large scale drawings, guide her material explorations as well as nourish her publication and comic projects. Her recent work explores the symbolic depth of the menstrual cycle as an embodied tracker of time.
Zamudio received her BFA in Studio Arts from Concordia University in 2019. Since 2022, her work has been featured in The Art Volt Collection (Montreal, QC), and in 2023 she had her second solo show hosted by the Filministes Film Festival (Montreal, QC). Between 2021- 2022 she ran the periodical Creadoras: women artists zine with contributions from local and international artists. She was part of Artch’s cohort (Montreal, QC) in 2023 and is currently working on her first picture book.